WILLET LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER EASTERN WHIP-POOR-WILL WHITE-EYED VIREO Ring-necked Pheasant Red-throated Loon Common Loon Broad-winged Hawk Sandhill Crane Solitary Sandpiper Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Iceland Gull Snowy Owl Ruby-throated Hummingbird Red-headed Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Least Flycatcher Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird Blue-headed Vireo Warbling Vireo House Wren Blue-gray-Gnatcatcher Ruby-crowned Kinglet Swainson's Thrush Hermit Thrush Wood Thrush Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Ovenbird Golden-winged Warbler Blue-winged Warbler Black-and-White Warbler Tennessee Warbler Nashville Warbler Common Yellowthroat Magnolia Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Yellow Warbler Chestnut -sided Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Palm Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Field Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Grasshopper Sparrow White-throated Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Rose-breasted Grosbeak Bobolink Baltimore Oriole Rusty Blackbird
Well, the party has started here in the Hamilton Study Area. Migrants are arriving in droves, diversity is high and we can finally breathe a sigh of relief here that spring has finally arrived. Our rarities section starts out with a WILLET. Not a rarity provincially but certainly not common in the Hamilton Study Area. This WILLET was found by birders looking for the short staying Glossy Ibis. The WILLET stayed a couple of days out in the field at 8th Road East and Britannia. Nearby at James Snow Parkway the 7 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS were seen on Saturday but not after. An EASTERN WHIPOORWILL was heard at dawn near Aberdeen in Hamilton, a nice yard bird! A WHITE-EYED VIREO was seen at Ruthven and an early Yellow-bellied Flycatcher was recorded there as well. Out and about at the woodlots along the lake birds reported from Sherwood Forest and Shoreacres Park in Burlington, Edgelake Park in Stoney Creek and 40 mile Creek in Grimsby include a variety of migrants. On those properties this week, Least Flycatcher, Great Crested Flycatcher, Blue-headed Vireo, Warbling Vireo, House Wren, Blue-gray-Gnatcatcher, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Swainson's, Wood and Hermit Thrush, Brown Thrasher, Ovenbird, Black-and-White, Tennessee, Nashville Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Blackburnian, Yellow, Chestnut-sided, Black-throated Blue, Palm, Yellow-rumped and Black-throated Green Warbler, White-throated and White-crowned Sparrow, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Baltimore Oriole were all reported in various numbers. Along Tuck Creek in Burlington, a Yellow- throated Vireo was a nice addition to the yard list. Shorebirds continue to move through with Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs and Solitary Sandpiper reported at fields in Saltfleet and Oakville, these fields should continue to produce. Another good spot this time of year is Cityview Park in Burlington on Kerns Road. Here this week a Golden-winged Warbler was found. This park is also good for a sparrow sweep with Vesper, Field, Song and Grasshopper Sparrow here this week. Clay-colored Sparrows nested here last year. There is lots to report in the odds and sods. Loons seem to be a bit late moving through with a good supply of Red-throated Loons being seen. One was seen off Bronte Harbour in the week and 5 more off Grays Road. An Iceland Gull was also seen off Bronte and Shoreacres. Common Loons are being seen in increasing numbers as well. The Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch is winding down with a few more Broad- winged Hawks continuing to move north. Up to eight Sandhill Cranes were photographed near Glen Morris. A very late Snowy Owl was seen atop a pole on Tapleytown earlier in the week. Ruby-throated Hummingbird was present at a yard in Binbrook, more to come for sure so keep your feeders out. A Red-headed Woodpecker has returned to a property in Ancaster where they have been seen yearly. An early Yellow-bellied Flycatcher was recorded at Ruthven banding station. An Eastern Kingbird was seen at the Slote Road Marsh. Blue-winged Warblers have returned to the Berry Tract. This is a good location for various hybrids of Blue and Golden-winged Warblers. A Lincoln's Sparrow was found near the Slote Road Bog along with a variety of warblers. Indigo Buntings have been reported at feeders in Brant Co. south of Carluke and Copetown this week. Bobolinks could be heard on 10th Road East. usty Blackbirds were also seen on theDofasco Trail in Saltfleet between 10th and 11th Road East. Its an exciting time of year. Please send in your sightings! Cheryl Edgecombe HNC --- This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active. http://www.avast.com _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup Posting guidelines can be found at http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdsguide
